An Ancient Alligator for the Alf Museum

A newly announced fossil of an ancient alligator turns out to be the first of its kind from the southwestern United States. This specimen, which was excavated by the Alf Museum in 2011, lived in Utah around 75 million years ago and is now on display in the Hall of Life.

Meet "Joe" the Baby Dinosaur

A chance discovery by a high school student from The Webb Schools led to a spectacularly complete dinosaur skeleton, now on display at the Alf Museum. The animal is a baby Parasaurolophus, the iconic tube-crested herbivore, under a year old when it died. Learn all about the discovery at a special website, www.dinosaurjoe.org.

Wildlife in the Tropical Forests of Prehistoric California

Sixty million years ago, the Mojave Desert of southern California was blanketed by a lush tropical forest. Where desert tortoises and sidewinders now roam, early mammals thrived alongside crocodiles and river turtles on a coastal plain. Thanks to hundreds of new specimens uncovered by the Alf Museum, including California\'s oldest primate, our picture of this ancient world is now much clearer.

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The Raymond M. Alf Museum of Paleontology

A fossil skull small enough to fit in the palm of your hand represents the oldest species of horned dinosaur named from North America. The discovery, announced by a multi-institution team including the Raymond M. Alf Museum of Paleontology at The Webb Schools, is 40 million years older than the iconic Triceratops.

Wildlife in the Tropical Forests of Prehistoric California

Wednesday, 12 February 2014 09:10
Andrew Farke

Sixty million years ago, the Mojave Desert of southern California was blanketed by a lush tropical forest. Where desert tortoises and sidewinders now roam, early mammals thrived alongside crocodiles and river turtles on a coastal plain. For decades, fewer than a dozen fragmentary fossils were known. Thanks to hundreds of new specimens uncovered by the Alf Museum, our picture of this ancient world is now much clearer. A scientific paper, just published in the journal American Museum Novitates, details 18 kinds of fossil mammals from this time, three of them completely new to science. These include California’s oldest primate as well as relatives of modern hoofed mammals.